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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29387586">My Favorite Poison</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChronicComicObsession/pseuds/ChronicComicObsession'>ChronicComicObsession</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Love Island (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Lots of Cursing, Mentions of Ayn Rand, somewhat ooc</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:55:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,114</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29387586</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChronicComicObsession/pseuds/ChronicComicObsession</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Maisie and Noah cannot stand each other. At all. But a small comment from a friend leaves them each wondering if they really hate each other, or is it all just chemistry?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Noah/Main Character (Love Island)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>My Favorite Poison</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my submission for the r/LITGFanFiction February Prompt Comp!</p><p>Thanks a bunch to everyone in the discord for finally getting me to freaking finish a prompt. And thanks a billion to Lauren (daisybarks) for beta reading for me!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Noah sighed as he drummed his fingers against the cashier’s counter. Groaning quietly, he checked his watch. <em> Two hours and 56 minutes till I can leave. </em>Unfortunately, every minute felt like a year at the university bookstore, especially now that the beginning of semester rush was over.</p><p> </p><p>He groaned even louder when <em> she </em>walked in. Maisie Taylor: annoying, obnoxious, know-it-all, kind of hot Maisie Taylor. Noah had the displeasure of being partnered with her for a Greek Mythology project last term, and all they did the whole time was argue.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Medusa was the victim, not the villain. She was a loyal and faithful servant to Athena, she would never sleep with Poseidon in Athena’s temple.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Noah rolled his eyes. “Then what was she doing? Giving him a medical examination?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “She was accosted by Poseidon. He was a creep. So Athena gave her the gift of turning men to stone if they dared attempt to violate her again. The story we all hear now is another example of men revising history to serve the patriarchy’s narrative.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “That’s ridiculous. None of this even actually happened, why are you so insistent that we’ve all been told the wrong myth for hundreds of years?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> She huffed quietly, throwing her blonde curls over her shoulder. “Because this is just another instance where men ain’t shit and feel the need to change everything so they don’t have to face that fact.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Maisie glided through the front entrance of the book shop, purposefully ignoring the tall, handsome clerk. Noah Davies: dumbass of the highest order, rude, bad taste in books, and just generally irritating to be around. Maisie couldn’t stand him; despite him being quite popular with some of the other girls. One of her flatmates, Hannah, claimed he was ‘dreamy,’ but Maisie didn’t really see it. Sure, he was tall and muscular with soft hair and bright twinkling eyes, but he was also such a dickhead it was hard to see those things.</p><p> </p><p>Maisie shook her head, bringing her attention back to the present. The university’s small bookstore always had a decent sale on novels a few weeks into term, and she was dangerously low on reading material. </p><p> </p><p>She quickly made her way over to the discount shelves, running her slender fingers along the spines of the poor, unloved books. <em> Read that already, boring, racist author, maybe this one? </em> Maisie picked up <em> A Long, Cold Fall </em>, flipping through the pages as she mulled over the potential purchase.</p><p> </p><p>She grimaced as her eyes fell on the copy of <em> The Fountainhead </em> on the shelf nearby. <em> No wonder that one’s on sale. Absolutely rubbish novel. </em></p><p> </p><p>“Not an Ayn Rand fan?” Noah’s deep timbre rang out next her, making her groan internally. She had been so lost in thought she hadn’t heard him walk up. </p><p> </p><p>“Not particularly. Her brand of existentialism isn’t exactly my taste,” she replied, piercing him with those icy blue eyes even he could admit were bewitching. <em> If only you weren’t so insufferable, </em>he thought to himself.</p><p> </p><p>“You at least have to admit <em> Anthem </em>was one of the best dystopian novels ever written,” he retorted, leaning against the bookshelf next to Maisie.</p><p> </p><p>The blonde scoffed, rolling her eyes as she put the book she was examining back on the shelf. “Are you serious? What about <em> 1984? The Giver? </em> Shit, I’d argue <em> The Hunger Games </em> did a better job making commentary on totalitarianism than <em> Anthem. </em>” Maisie shuddered slightly as she finished her sentence, as if just the mere thought of reading Ayn Rand made her ill.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you can’t be serious. They couldn’t even use singular pronouns.”</p><p> </p><p>“So? They couldn’t see color or hear music in <em> The Giver. </em> Taking away individuality is the whole idea of totalitarianism. She isn’t some kind of visionary for it. And any credit I <em> may </em> have given <em> Anthem </em> was immediately nullified by the existence of <em> The Fountainhead </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Noah narrowed his eyes as he contemplated a rebuttal for that. The truth was, he didn’t give much of a shit one way or another about Ayn Rand. He just loved winding Maisie up. Despite how irritating her found her, something about the way her full lips pursed when she got really annoyed, or she’d start toying with the ends of her hair to keep her hands busy, was oddly endearing. Well, as endearing as someone as vexing as she was could be.</p><p> </p><p>“I think you just think it’s cool to dislike Ayn Rand,” he finally said, unable to come up with a better argument.</p><p> </p><p>She blew out a loud breath, fluffing up a few strands of her hair. “You’re a bellend,” she declared through gritted teeth before stomping off. </p><p> </p><p>Noah chuckled to himself as she walked away, pleased that he not only managed to piss her off, he also got her to leave without buying anything. Noah’s mind drifted as he watched her sautner off, his eyes involuntarily dropping to her ass. <em> She does have a nice bum. </em></p><p> </p><p>**********</p><p> </p><p>Maisie huffed as she shut the door to her flat, throwing her bag down roughly and kicking her trainers off.</p><p> </p><p>“Oi! No good books on sale?” her flatmate and best friend, Hope, called out from her spot on the couch. </p><p> </p><p>“Fucking Noah,” was all Maisie said as she threw herself down on the slate colored couch next to Hope.</p><p> </p><p>“Still being a twat?” she asked.</p><p> </p><p>Maisie nodded, throwing her head back against the back of the couch and rubbing her temples. “I didn’t even get the chance to pick up any new books. Wanker just wanted to argue about fucking Ayn Rand.”</p><p> </p><p>Hope’s brows furrowed slightly. “I didn’t even realize he liked her.”</p><p> </p><p>Maisie rolled her eyes before shooting a droll look at the other woman. “Did you two ever really discuss books? I thought all you did was shag and raid his cupboards for snacks.”</p><p> </p><p>Hope shrugged, throwing her feet in Maisie’s lap. “I mean, I went over to his flat a fair bit.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, for dick appointments. Not for book club.”</p><p> </p><p>Hope chuckled quietly. “I suppose that’s true. Remind me why you hate him so much? I know he can be a bit of a tosser, but he really isn’t all that bad.”</p><p> </p><p>Maisie groaned. “He <em> is </em>that bad. He’s arrogant, a know-it-all, and just... you know!” Maisie gestured vaguely, raising her eyebrows for emphasis.</p><p> </p><p>“Just... what?” Hope prodded.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s just so... just so... I don’t know the word but you know what I mean.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want to know what I think, babes?”</p><p> </p><p>Maisie nodded. Hope was her closest friend, and she valued her opinion. “I think you’re attracted to him,” Hope said.</p><p> </p><p>Maisie scoffed and laughed, giving Hope an incredulous look. “Attracted to Noah?? Noah Davies?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Mais. You can’t deny you two have crazy chemistry, and any time you run into him you don’t shut up about it for days. That man lives in your head rent-free.”</p><p> </p><p>Maisie laughed and shook her head. “We don’t have <em> chemistry. </em>We clash and butt heads and argue like there’s no tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe you’re that weird thing Hannah’s friend, Lottie, was talking about. Twin flames or some shit,” Hope mused.</p><p> </p><p>Maisie rolled her eyes at the mention of the girl their flatmate Hannah had recently become obsessed with. Maisie and Hope had been stuck in the cramped dorms until an opening had come up for a small house a few kilometers from campus, but they couldn’t afford it on their own. They had managed to get a freshman, Hannah, to agree to room with them, but there was no denying the petite ginger was quite immature, and had a bad tendency of latching onto random people. If Maisie had to listen to her soliloquise about fucking Jay Gatsby one more time, she was going to give herself a lobotomy.</p><p> </p><p>“Lottie is a fucking nutter and thinks that guy Gary on the football team is god’s gift to man. I don’t know if she’s the best person to support your argument with,” Maisie quipped.</p><p> </p><p>Hope chuckled, smacking her friend on the arm playfully. “Don’t change the subject. I think you just need to grow a lady pair and admit it: you like arguing with Noah.”</p><p> </p><p>“I most certainly do not. Besides, you’re biased.”</p><p> </p><p>Hope shrugged. “I mean yeah, he’s a good shag. But there’s a reason we didn’t date. We would play off each other in the worst way. But I think you could keep him on his toes, and I think once you stopped fighting your obvious attraction to him, he might mellow you out.”</p><p> </p><p>Maisie barked out a laugh. “Mellow me out? Haven’t we well established he winds me up like no one else on this planet?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, but that’s because you’re fighting it. And besides, he’s more relaxed once you get to know him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is he now?” Maisie asked sarcastically.</p><p> </p><p>Hope rolled her eyes. “Yes, he is. And besides, don’t lie. You like going into the shop when you know he’s working.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not true and I think I’m done with this conversation. What do you want for dinner?”</p><p> </p><p>Hope sighed, giving the blonde woman an annoyed look. “How about spaghetti?”</p><p> </p><p>**********</p><p> </p><p>Noah grumbled as he stepped into his flat. He was, unfortunately, still thinking about Maisie. He knew she lived with that girl he used to shag, Hope. Hope had been weird about Noah coming over to her house, usually only wanting to come to his. He hated that little bit of him that was disappointed when he couldn’t go to hers, meaning he couldn’t bother Maisie.</p><p> </p><p>He kind of hated how often he thought about her, but always managed to brush it off as her just being that irritating. Hope sometimes implied that he might be into Maisie, but that was ridiculous. Besides, what did she know? She was just a girl he hooked up with for a bit. </p><p> </p><p>“Dinner will be ready in 10!” Noah’s flatmate, Bobby, called out from their tiny kitchen.</p><p> </p><p>Noah grumbled an acknowledgement before throwing himself down on their cheap futon, pulling out his copy of <em> Fight Club </em>and picking up where he left off the night before. </p><p> </p><p>“You good, lad?” Bobby asked, rounding the corner into the living room wearing his blue ‘(melon) baller’ apron.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine,” Noah replied simply, not looking up from his book.</p><p> </p><p>“Did she come in again?”</p><p> </p><p>Noah glanced at Bobby over the edge of his book, opting not to respond. <em> Am I that easy to read? </em></p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to take that as a ‘yes,’” Bobby said, throwing himself down on the couch next to Noah.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure you do. That lass Maisie who winds you up so bad. You always get like this when you run into her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Like what?”</p><p> </p><p>“Broody, quiet, snippy,” Bobby answered, lifting a finger up for each word.</p><p> </p><p>Noah rolled his eyes. “I thought I was always those things.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not normally snippy,” Bobby jested, elbowing Noah’s side.</p><p> </p><p>Noah huffed quietly, marking his place in his novel before setting it back down on the back of the futon. “I can’t explain it. Just something about her gets me all sorts of riled up. I hate it.”</p><p> </p><p>“You want her and hate that she doesn’t want you too,” Bobby stated as if it were obvious.</p><p> </p><p>Noah reared back. “That’s rubbish. I don’t <em> want </em>her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure you do. I don’t think anyone could blame you, she’s well fit. And you clearly have a spark.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no way in hell I’d ever fancy <em> Maisie Taylor.” </em></p><p> </p><p>“Hey, I didn’t use the word fancy. That was you.” Bobby leaned back and smirked.</p><p> </p><p>“Well I - it’s just you implied... don’t twist my words!” Noah spluttered, only causing Bobby’s smirk to intensify. </p><p> </p><p>“Whatever you say, mate!” Bobby threw his hands up in mock surrender before heading back to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner.</p><p> </p><p>Bobby glanced over his shoulder, making sure Noah wasn’t watching, before pulling his phone out and firing off a text to Hope.</p><p> </p><p><b>Bobby: </b>Done. He obviously denied it, but the seed has been planted 😈😈</p><p> </p><p><b>Hope: </b>Perfect, same here.</p><p> </p><p>Bobby smiled to himself as he sent off a thumbs up. <em> Maybe once they finally admit they’re into each other, we can both stop hearing them whinge. Maybe. </em></p><p> </p><p>**********</p><p> </p><p>Maisie woke with a start, trying to shake off the uncomfortably realistic dream of kissing Noah. She shuddered at the thought. <em> As if. I think I’d rather cut my fingers off with a rusty butter knife. </em></p><p> </p><p>She got ready quickly, hoping to swing by the bookstore again before class. She hadn’t gotten the chance to pick anything up the day before. It absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that Noah was working. Nothing at all.</p><p> </p><p>After throwing on a red cropped tank top and dungarees, she braided her hair back in one long plait down her back, pulling a few stray curls out in front to frame her face. She applied a simple makeup look and spritzed a fine mist of her strawberries and creme body spray before grabbing her bag and heading towards the door.</p><p> </p><p>“You look nice,” Hope commented as Maisie pulled on a pair of black high tops.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks,” she mumbled back.</p><p> </p><p>“Noah opens the bookstore today, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“I have no idea,” Maisie lied.</p><p> </p><p>“Mhmm. Well I hope you find some new books. It’d be awful if you had to keep going back,” Hope teased, winking at her best mate.</p><p> </p><p>Maisie rolled her eyes. “I’ll see you after class.”</p><p> </p><p>“See ya later, babes.”</p><p> </p><p>Hope cracked a small smile as she fired off another text to Bobby.</p><p> </p><p><b>Hope: </b>She’s leaving early to go to the bookstore. Nice clothes and makeup done 👀</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Bobby: 😏😏😏</b>
</p><p> </p><p>**********</p><p> </p><p>Noah sighed as he turned on the neon ‘open’ sign, annoyed that he got roped into opening three times a week. <em> Not like I wanted to sleep or anything. </em></p><p> </p><p>He perked up a bit when he saw her walk through the door, her trademark RBF stamped on her features as she made her way to the discount shelves again. <em> Maybe getting up early wasn’t all that bad, </em> he thought to himself before quickly shaking his head. <em> What? No! Her being here makes getting up early worse, not better. </em></p><p> </p><p>Maisie’s stomach flipped as she made eye contact with Noah. She glanced away quickly, hating this newfound effect he had on her. <em> Hope’s wrong about this one. I </em> <b> <em>don’t </em> </b> <em> like him. I don’t. He’s still annoying. Still a total knobhead. Still a tosser. </em></p><p> </p><p>Maisie took a deep breath as she headed towards the sale books. She hummed quietly as she examined <em> Choke, </em>trying to decide if it’d be worth her time.</p><p> </p><p>“Chuck Palahniuk is good. I’m reading <em> Fight Club </em>right now,” Noah commented, making Maisie jump.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Can’t believe a prat like you would like Chuck Palahniuk,” she retorted, a small smirk playing at the corner of her lips.</p><p> </p><p>“Pardon me?”</p><p> </p><p>“He just seems a bit <em> refined </em>for your tastes.”</p><p> </p><p>Noah scoffed. “I’ll have you know I have quite a variety of interests.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh really? I figured you spent most of your time reading shitty Ayn Rand novels and trying to get your three brain cells to start working together instead of wrestling each other,” she remarked, fighting down a small smile. </p><p> </p><p>What she didn’t admit was she actually found him sort of interesting. Almost intelligent. But annoying him was far more fun than offering anything resembling a compliment.</p><p> </p><p>Noah stared at her blankly, fighting to control his annoyance. Partially at her blatant and continuous insults, but more so with his newfound urge to kiss her as a way to shut her up. <em> No. Nope. I am </em> <b> <em>not </em> </b> <em> imagining what it’d be like to kiss her. I’m </em> <b> <em>not. </em> </b> <em> Bobby was way off. I don’t want her at all.  </em></p><p> </p><p>“Bueller?” she quipped, an eyebrow quirked up in amusement.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t tell me you like John Hughes?”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t tell me you don’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“No. That’s the problem. I do. You’re not allowed to like good things!”</p><p> </p><p>Maisie’s brows scrunched up in confusion. “What?”</p><p> </p><p>Noah ignored her, stomping off to the back, mumbling something to his coworker about checking on stock. </p><p> </p><p>Noah leaned back against the cool brick wall of the backroom. Rubbing his temples, he cringed internally at his own outburst. <em> Did I really just yell at her for making a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off reference? God, why do I let this random girl get so into my head? </em></p><p> </p><p>Maisie stared dumbfounded in the direction Noah stormed off. <em> Did he really just say I’m not allowed to like John Hughes? What a cunt waffle. </em></p><p> </p><p>She scoffed quietly before grabbing a few books and paying for them at the register, all the while forcing herself not to glance at the door to the backroom. <em> I don’t care if he comes back out before I leave. I don’t want to see his knobby face again. Even if it is kind of handsome. </em></p><p> </p><p>**********</p><p> </p><p>“And then he said I wasn’t allowed to like good things!” Maisie exclaimed, not seeming to notice Hope rolling her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes. I know. And then he stormed off.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah! What a cock womble.”</p><p> </p><p>Hope cut her an incredulous look as they searched for an open table. “Did you just call him a cock womble?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah. So?”</p><p> </p><p>“Didn’t realize that word was really in your vocabulary. Been spending a lot of time around Bobby?”</p><p> </p><p>“That short Scottish bloke?”</p><p> </p><p>Hope snorted as she pulled out her chair, motioning for Maisie to take the one across from her. “Bold of you to call someone else short.”</p><p> </p><p>Maisie rolled her eyes as she took the seat opposite Hope. Maisie was an even five feet and hated it. She’d usually tell people she was five foot one just to boost herself a bit. “Har har.”</p><p> </p><p>Hope held her hands up in a peacemaking gesture as she chuckled. “I’m just saying. Pot, have you met kettle?”</p><p> </p><p>Maisie rolled her eyes again, opening her mouth to make a snide comment in return but promptly snapping it shut as she spotted <em> him. </em>Fucking Noah Davies. This time with his short Scottish friend.</p><p> </p><p>The pair were across the dining hall from the girls, having yet to spot them. Noah thought it was strange when Bobby suggested going to the campus dining hall, but he figured he was just tired of cooking for the two of them. Little did he know they weren’t running into Maisie and Hope by accident. </p><p> </p><p>Hope and Bobby had gotten pretty tired of their friends denying their feelings for each other, but knew they were both too stubborn to realize their hate for each other was really misplaced chemistry. So they hatched a plan. Plant the seed, then keep forcing them into the same room until one of them gave in and just went for it. Bobby wanted to call it ‘Operation Moah.’</p><p> </p><p>But they were both proving to be more obstinate than their mates thought. So Bobby got the idea to have them ‘accidentally’ run into each other elsewhere. Hope agreed a change in setting might give them a bigger nudge in the right direction, so she agreed to bring Maisie to the dining hall at the same time Bobby brought Noah.</p><p> </p><p>Bobby had to fight down a grin when he heard Noah grumble quietly, muttering something under his breath. “What’s up, mate?” he asked, trying his best to keep his tone as nonchalant as possible.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing. Let’s just stay over here, yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“What for?”</p><p> </p><p>“This side of the room just seems nicer than the other,” Noah said, also trying to sound nonchalant.</p><p> </p><p>Bobby glanced around the large dining hall, a small smirk ghosting his lips as he spotted Maisie and Hope talking animatedly at a small table on the opposite end of the room.</p><p> </p><p>“Like the scenery here, eh? Has nothing to do with Hope and Maisie sitting over there?” Bobby asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow as he cocked his head towards the two women.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m just not in the mood to argue with her.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re always in the mood to argue with Maisie,” Bobby commented dryly before making his way towards the pair.</p><p> </p><p>Noah grumbled quietly as he followed, muttering something under his breath about Bobby being a bellend.</p><p> </p><p>Maisie scowled as the boys approached their table. <em> I really don’t want to spend my evening with this twat.  </em></p><p> </p><p>“Evening boys!” Hope said cheerily, flashing them both a broad smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Evening. Mind if we join you?” Bobby asked. </p><p> </p><p>“Well actually I’d prefer -”</p><p> </p><p>“Not at all, dear,” Hope cut Maisie off, sending her a subtle glare before turning back to Bobby and Noah with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>Noah grimaced as he slid into the seat next Maisie. <em> Why did Bobby have to take the spot next to Hope? Now I have to sit here breathing in her perfume and brushing against her thigh all night. </em></p><p> </p><p>Maisie’s expression mirrored Noah’s as she tried to subtly put some distance between herself and the bookstore clerk, not liking the way the warmth of his leg next to hers made her feel.</p><p> </p><p>“So what are you gorgeous lassies doing this fine evening?” Bobby's voice cut through the awkward silence.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I don’t know. I thought about watching <em> The Breakfast Club. </em>Is that okay with you?” Maisie asked Noah with a condescending smile.</p><p> </p><p>Noah refused to meet her eye as he pushed his food around on his plate with his fork. “Don’t see why my opinion matters,” he muttered quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“Just wondering if I’m allowed to like that.”</p><p> </p><p>Noah’s jaw clenched tightly, annoyed at her tone, annoyed at her teasing, annoyed at her intoxicating strawberry scent, annoyed at how bad he wanted to shut her up by pressing his lips to hers.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmmm?” she prodded, trying to push his buttons as hard as she could.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t give a shit what you like,” he finally replied, avoiding her gaze in the hopes that it would quell this uncomfortable new desire to gather her in his arms and find out if she tasted as good as she smelled.</p><p> </p><p>“Really? Because I thought I wasn’t allowed to like good things.” She smirked as she leaned back in her chair, pleased that she seemed to have finally put him in his place as he struggled to respond to her.</p><p> </p><p>“You know what?” Noah slammed his palm flat on the table before continuing, “Yeah, I said some dumb shit about what you’re allowed to like because guess what? You’re fucking insufferable and everything little thing you do gets under my skin, but for some reason I can’t stop thinking about what it’d be like to snog you. I don’t know why, but I can’t get you off my mind and I fucking hate that! You don’t deserve to take up as many of my thoughts as you do, but I just can’t help myself!”</p><p> </p><p>Noah’s chest heaved as he finished his rant, his golden eyes filled with something Maisie didn’t recognize. She stared at him dumbfounded, mouth slightly agape as she tried to process what he said. Before she could formulate a response, he huffed loudly and stomped off, leaving his food at the table untouched.</p><p> </p><p>Maisie turned her wide-eyed gaze to Hope and Bobby, who stared back at her equally as gobsmacked. <em> Did that absolute wankstain just say he wants to snog me? </em></p><p> </p><p>“I should probably go after him and see if…” Bobby trailed off awkwardly.</p><p> </p><p>Hope gave him a stiff nod and a smile as he rose from his seat. Grabbing his and Noah’s plates, he waved at them and hurried out. Once Bobby was out of earshot, Hope turned to Maisie. “You okay, babes?”</p><p> </p><p>Maisie stared blankly at the marbled tabletop for what felt like ages before glancing back up at her friend. “What the fuck just happened?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well I think Noah just admitted that he likes you.”</p><p> </p><p>Maisie rolled her eyes and scoffed. “He called me insufferable.”</p><p> </p><p>“And he also said he can’t stop thinking about what it’d be like to snog you and that he can’t get you off his mind. Are you really going to ignore all that and only latch on to the part where he called you insufferable?”</p><p> </p><p>“He fucking said it, not me,” Maisie argued weakly.</p><p> </p><p>Hope huffed quietly. “You’re both genuinely the worst. Has it occurred to you that the whole reason you two act like this is some dumb disagreement you had over a fucking Greek myth?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not just that…”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh really? What else is it then? I know for a fucking fact it doesn’t have anything to do with his looks. I’ve seen you eye him up, and I can’t blame you. He’s fit. You just don’t want to admit that the whole crux of this intense hatred you have for him is your pride.”</p><p> </p><p>Maisie reared back, glaring at Hope. “It’s not just my pride!”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes it fucking is. Tell me one genuine reason you dislike him, other than your need to always be right.” Hope crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, piercing the blonde with an intense stare.</p><p> </p><p>Maisie stared wide eyed at Hope as she tried to figure out what to say. Because the longer she thought about it, the more she realized Hope was right. She couldn’t really give a reason as to why she hated Noah so much. She just fucking did. And all this time she had been leaning on that to ignore the truth: that the reason she thought about him so much was because she was attracted to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Well I... I just... he’s…” Maisie spluttered.</p><p> </p><p>“My point exactly. You know I love you Mais, but you need to put your big girl pants on, shove down just a little bit of that massive ego of yours, and snog the face off that man,” Hope declared, giving Maisie an encouraging smile.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re just trying to pass your dick appointment off on me, aren’t you?” Maisie joked, returning Hope’s smile.</p><p> </p><p>The other woman barked out a laugh, balling up a napkin and throwing it at her friend. “Stop stalling. Go.” She motioned her head towards the front entrance of the dining hall.</p><p> </p><p>With a shaky sigh, Maisie nodded and rose from her seat. She stopped briefly, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to Hope’s forehead. “Love youse, you know,” she said softly.</p><p> </p><p>“I know. Now go.”</p><p> </p><p>**********</p><p> </p><p><em> Thump, thump, thump. </em> Noah grumbled as he peeled himself off the couch to answer the door. <em> Did Bobby order pizza or something?  </em></p><p> </p><p>Noah’s breath caught in his throat as he swung the door open, revealing an anxious looking Maisie standing on his doorstep. She stayed uncharacteristically silent as she stared up at him, those bright blue eyes making him feel naked.</p><p> </p><p>They both stood staring for an uncomfortably long time before Maisie finally spoke. “So, can I come in?”</p><p> </p><p>Noah blinked rapidly before nodding and stepping to the side, motioning for her to come inside. Maisie gave him a small smile before stepping in and kicking her shoes off. She looked around, taking in the small flat. She had never come over before, never really having a reason to.</p><p> </p><p>She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t what she saw. While it was small, it felt quite homey. The living room didn’t have much furniture; a futon and a recliner against one wall and a bookshelf and TV stand along the other. The far wall was entirely glass, overlooking the side street behind their building.</p><p> </p><p>Maisie scanned the bookshelf, instinctively looking for books she hated. To her surprise, she actually approved of his collection. Some Austen, Dickens, and Dostoevsky along with some more modern picks, like Palahniuk and King. <em> No Ayn Rand </em>, she thought briefly, making herself chuckle.</p><p> </p><p>She was the most surprised by the pictures. Along the middle of one of the shelves there was a small collection of photos, some of Bobby and Noah when they were younger, probably 14 or 15, and some with a young girl who looked a lot like Noah. <em> Must be his sister. Didn’t realize he had siblings. </em>Maisie realized she actually didn’t know much about Noah, choosing to only focus on the things that annoyed her for so long had obscured most of his personality for her.</p><p> </p><p>Noah’s deep voice cut through her train of thought. “So what are you doing here?”</p><p> </p><p>Maisie swallowed hard as she finally turned to make eye contact with him. “I’m not quite sure.”</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean?” Noah asked as he took a seat on the futon, motioning for her to sit down next to him.</p><p> </p><p>After taking a seat a measured distance from him, Maisie replied, “Well, Hope seems to think the whole reason you’ve made me crazy for so long was because of my own pride. That I didn’t really have a reason to dislike you.”</p><p> </p><p>Noah nodded, trying to focus on anything other than the fact that she was actually in his flat, sat on his couch like this was all a normal occurrence. He really wished he didn’t notice how pink her lips were, and wished even more that he could find out if they were as soft as they looked.</p><p> </p><p>Maisie took a shaky breath, as if it physically pained her to admit she may not have a real reason to hate him. “And I don’t know. Maybe she’s right. Even being here made me realize how little I know about you. Like shit, I didn’t even know you and Bobby knew each other as teenagers, or that you had a sister or -”</p><p> </p><p>Noah cut her off as he leaned over and threaded his fingers through her hair, pulling her so close he could feel her breath on his face. “Can I kiss you?”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” she breathed out in response.</p><p> </p><p>“Did I stutter?”</p><p> </p><p>She giggled quietly before eliminating the remaining distance between them, pressing her lips softly to Noah’s. God, she <em> did </em> taste as good as she smelled. Their mouths moved against each other slowly, savoring every second of contact. She moved one hand up to cup his jaw, tracing her fingers over the defined lines of his face. The other moved to his shoulder, pulling him closer as he wrapped his arms around her in return.</p><p> </p><p>All too soon, they both started to run out of air, forcing them to pull away. “Kayla,” he whispered as he rested his forehead on hers.</p><p> </p><p>“What?”</p><p> </p><p>“My sister. Her name is Kayla,” he explained, reveling in the small smile that tugged at the corner of her swollen lips.</p><p> </p><p>Bobby grinned to himself as he watched the exchange from around the corner. He pulled out his phone, opening his texts to Hope.</p><p> </p><p><b>Bobby: </b>Operation Moah was a success 👌👌👌</p><p> </p><p><b>Hope: </b>Thank fuck. Let’s hope they stop being stupid.</p><p> </p><p><b>Bobby: </b>Doubtful 😂😂</p><p>
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